Our fat-free, dolphin-safe Milwaukee events calendar is chock-full of things to do, but only a handful of events are worthy of the lofty honor of “Record Recommended” (patent pending). Here are our recommendations for September 23-29, 2019.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
Vacation + TVO, Habitat For Insanity @ High Dive
It’s Monday and it’s the first day of autumn! Celebrate with a sure-to-be blistering rock show at Riverwest’s venerable High Dive. Cincinnati group Vacation tops a bill rounded out by Philadelphia’s TVO and Milwaukee’s own Habitat For Insanity. There’s no cover, though donations and “SOLID ATTITUDES ONLY” are encouraged.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Captured! By Robots + Nasty Boys @ Cactus Club
If you’re unfamiliar with the story behind Captured! By Robots…well, that would be something, as the all-robot band (and human captive Jbot) have been grinding away for more than 20 years. If you ever wanted to see robots perform, say, a Journey song, here’s your chance. Also: We’re pretty sure some friends of ours got married at a Captured! By Robots show back in the day. Weird!
SOURCED: Les Filles de Illighadad + Abdou Kambaye, Buffalo Nichols @ The Ivy House
The Erotic Adventures Of The Static Chicken @ The Jazz Estate
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
Milwaukee Record Presents: Friday @ Avalon Theater
Help us celebrate the day before the weekend a little early at our screening of the Ice Cube, DJ Pooh, and F. Gary Gray comedy masterpiece Friday. Tickets are on sale now! Craig Jones is a 22-year-old resident of South Central Los Angeles who lives with his parents and sister. The movie follows him through an entire Friday, exactly one day after he was fired from his job for allegedly stealing boxes (spoiler: he didn’t do it). Craig spends his unfortunate day off considering his professional options and interacting with his neighbors, especially his buddy, Smokey, who smokes much more than he sells. An angry girlfriend, an angry dope dealer, and a once-in-a-generation character named Deebo make this particular Friday a tough one for everyone involved. How will it play out? Is it a distant prequel to Friday The 13th? Show up and see for yourself!
Shook Twins + Nickel&Rose @ Shank Hall
King Brothers + Vincent HL, Platinum Boys, Holy Shit! @ Quarters Rock ‘N’ Roll Palace
Body Work + Gel Set, Storm Chaser, Juke Marciano @ High Dive
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
Fear District @ Fiserv Forum
By now you’ve probably heard that the public plaza surrounding Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum, the so-called “Deer District,” will transform into the so-called “Fear District” this fall. Oh, you haven’t heard? Well, from Thursday, September 26 through Sunday, November 3, the (mostly) family-friendly Fear District will be home to three 3,600-square-foot haunted houses (Vampire Village, Dead Man’s Wharf, Scare Acres), oodles of Halloween-themed activities, oodles of Halloween-themed food and drink specials, games, and free horror movie screenings (Halloween, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, A Nightmare On Elm Street, etc.) YES. (Through November 3.)
Milwaukee Record Halftime Show: Tell Me @ Cactus Club
The Milwaukee Record Halftime Show concert series at Cactus Club is back! Once again, we’ve assembled a stacked roster of 16 projects to provide FREE (21+) halftime entertainment. And, once again, our friends at Miller High Life are sponsoring our football-focused festivities, meaning fans can enjoy “The Champagne of Beers” for $2.50 a bottle, or $10 for a bucket of five beers all game long. And, yes, there will be touchdown shots.
Andrew Bird + Madison Cunningham @ Riverside Theater
Califone + Crumpler, Fellow Kinsman @ The Back Room @ Colectivo
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
Ice Cube + DJ Bizzon @ The Rave
Milwaukee has been seeing lots of Ice Cube lately. Last July, the rapper/actor/entrepreneur treated The Rave to a great show, during which he professed his love for our city. Last month, he sat courtside at Fiserv Forum as his BIG3 basketball league made its Milwaukee debut. Exactly two days after we screen his film, Friday, at Avalon Theater, Cube will return to The Rave to headline a show that also features Milwaukee’s own DJ Bizzon.
Bay View Gallery Night @ various locations
Donivan Berube + Ritt Momney @ Boone & Crockett
MSO: The Music Of John Williams @ Riverside Theater (Through September 29.)
CHNNLL + Endless Era, Man Random, Paper Holland @ Cactus Club
The Moth: Lessons @ Anodyne Walker’s Point Roastery
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
Doors Open Milwaukee @ various locations
For nearly a decade, Historic Milwaukee’s incredibly popular Doors Open event has given the public behind-the-scenes access to hundreds of Milwaukee-area buildings. Theaters, churches, office buildings, museums, hotels, Milwaukee City Hall, and indoor rock climbing facilities have all been on past Doors Open itineraries. Among the new locations this year is the Brewcity Bruisers’ practice facility in Walker’s Point. (Also September 29.)
An Evening With Bruce Campbell @ Pabst Theater
A live Q&A with the one and only Bruce Campbell and a screening of Evil Dead 2? What’s the word we’re looking for? Oh, of course: GROOVY.
Marielle Allschwang & The Visitations + Jordan Perry @ Acme Records & Music Emporium
Indonesian Junk (record release) + Short Fuses @ Circle-A
Tigernite + FowlMouth, Brother O’ Brother @ Linneman’s Riverwest Inn
5th Street Fest @ Walker’s Point
The Mike Benign Compulsion (record release) + Wire And Nail, White Sweater @ Club Garibaldi